Author's Note:Kudos to djkauf for betaing this for me and EOF for the Universe. Pic Credit: Kristen Stewart
This story takes place the week before and culminates on the night of the Delta Beta Zeta party described in "Life is Precious" by EnemyofFun. A little warning: this character isn't the most mentally stable of individuals. Disclaimer: There were no sparkly vampires harmed during the making of the story.

Tears dropped from my eyes to the page below, as I empathized with Edward’s struggle to save Bella’s life without turning her into a vampire. It was so romantic, his love for her. I don’t care what anyone says, Twilight is the pinnacle of vampire romance and angst. It may not be the most consistent book ever written, but it always brought me to tears.

My favorite thing to do was to imagine myself in Bella’s role. I know that’s an odd thing for most guys to do, but I wasn’t like most guys. Seeing that I was lying in bed, on my stomach, in nothing but a baby-tee and a pair of tanga cut panties, I suppose that’s kind of obvious. That it was in my dorm room in the middle of the night was probably not the safest either.

My roommate, Edward — I mean really, how awesome is that name? — was out with his girlfriend and I knew he’d be spending the evening at her place. In other words, I was safe to dress however I wanted, and read myself into a romantic oblivion. Anyway, I thought that’s what it meant.

Consider me a frozen block of ice when Edward opened the door to find me teary-eyed and holding Twilight with my nicely manicured hands.

“Sorry, I…” he paused, looked up at the room number on the door and then back at me again.

I could understand the confusion. My hair was styled in a shaggy asymmetrical bob and I was wearing makeup as well.

“Ashley?”

My sick looking smile was returned to him as I tried to think of a way to explain why I was dressed the way I was, but I had nothing. I was dead. Edward was going to kill me in some heated hate crime and I’d be outted to the world and worse, my parents.

He let the door close behind him as I dropped my book.

“Um…” I said.

“Why are you… I mean… dude… you’re gay?”

Of all the things I could have done, that I should have done, I was simply affronted.

“No.” I made to sit up and when Edward saw my B-cup falsies tenting out my tee, he blinked and took a step back.

His eyes shot down to my panties confirming I was flat down there as well. “Holy shit… you’re a chick! I knew there was something off about you.”

Losing sight of the big picture, I almost preened. He thought I was cute enough to be a real girl. I’d always hoped to be good enough to pass, but being my own worst critic, I’d always see the masculine features stand out more than the feminine ones.

Pulling the pillow off my bed, I held it in front of my panties and shook my head slightly.

“I’m not a girl, Edward.”

He made a face. “It’s Ed not Edward, and if you’re not a chick then what are those?” he said as he pointed at my breasts. “And where’s your dick?”

Before I started moving to the explanations, I needed to know my safety wasn’t about to be compromised. “Are you gonna freak out?”

Looking like he was about to do just that, he flinched slightly and a weird look came over his face like he was actually considering the possibility. “Uh… no? I have no idea why, though.”

Relief let the tension running through my muscles ease up. “Can I get dressed?”

Edward’s eyes narrowed. “I think you need to explain yourself first. I don’t want you running off before this is settled.”

I squirmed in my bed at the pressure. “Please? I won’t go anywhere. Just some shorts… please?”

Putting on the most pathetically sad pout I could manage might have something to do with why he finally nodded in a sheepish way. Edward has always been utter jello when girls looked helpless and defenseless.

For the most part, he’s a gentleman. I mean, he’s a college freshman, like me, so you have to take that designation with a grain of salt. He still ogles girls, gets overly drunk at keggers, and has an overabundance of intestinal gas that he feels he has to get rid of no matter who’s around at the time. But when there’s a girl involved, all she has to do is look innocent, weak, and pouty. Then he’s pretty much jelly. The fact that particular tactic worked for me made me want to preen even more, but I didn’t want to blow the reprieve he’d given me.

Setting the pillow aside, I stood and made way to my small closet and the box of female clothes I had stashed there for private times. Pulling out a pair of denim shorts, I wiggled into them. When I went for a pair of sandals as well, Edward busted me.

“Nuh-uh, no shoes.” When he said that, I saw he looked down and spotted my painted toenails as well. That just made him look more confused.

Taking what I could get, I pulled out my desk chair and sat down, crossing my legs. The gesture was a little feminine for shorts, but I was feeling a tad vulnerable.

“Thanks,” I said reservedly, trying my best to act as pure an innocent as I could, and not like a pervert.

Edward took a seat at his desk, which was right next to mine. He started running a hand over his face with a look of confusion and a want to do something to make the world look more sensible. Before he could reach that decision, whatever it was I thought that would be a good time to explain myself.

“Whenever you spend the night over at Brooke’s, and I’m sure of my privacy, I dress up. These,” I pointed to my breasts, “are fake. I’m taped up down there so I look more natural. I only do this when you aren’t around, so you wouldn’t get upset and kill me or something.”

He made a strangled sound in his throat. “I wouldn’t… I’m not violent. Not like that anyway. I’m not a gay basher.”

“I’m not gay, Edward.”

“Ed, my name is Ed.”

I shrugged. “I think Edward is more dignified and mature.”

“You like Edward because of Twilight; don’t lie to me, Ashley.”

It was like being scolded by my parents. I may have squirmed in my seat again. “Anyway, I just like to dress up. I don’t like guys.”

The baffled look returned to his face. “Why? If you liked the cock I could at least see why you’d want to look like a girl.”

My cheeks pinked. “Please don’t be rude.”

His mouth dropped open, slightly and then closed. Edward liked to use the phrase the cock. She wants the cock, he wants the cock, they want the cock; I have no idea what goes on in his mind most of the time.

“It has nothing to do with sex or guys or even girls. It has to do with me feeling comfortable in my own skin.”

His hand smacked on the table top making me jump. Except his facial features wasn’t one of anger, it was discovery.

“You one of those tranny he-she people.”

This time my lips firmed and I looked at him in disgust. “I never thought you were an ignorant ass, Ed.”

After seeing he looked properly chastened, I continued. “The term you are looking for is transsexual, and no, I’m not. I may fall under the general category of transgender since there is some unresolved sexual ambiguity about me, but I’m just a simple crossdresser. I feel more comfortable appearing as a woman, but I have no desire to change my body to match, and I don’t do it for sexual reasons.”

At this point, he was stumped. “I don’t get it. If you’re a guy, why would you want to look like a girl?”

I shrugged. “That’s a good question. The real truth is, I don’t know. Maybe it’s because guys are limited in what they wear or maybe it’s the feel of the different fabrics. Maybe it’s the feeling I got when you walked in on me and thought I was a real girl.”

“I didn’t…” he stopped himself. “Okay, I guess I did, but I mean you’ve got your hair… and the makeup, not to mention the breasts…”

“It’s okay. It made me feel good. Is that so wrong?”

He sighed and ran and hand through his hair. “I don’t know.”

Trying to make a point, I stood and twirled around. “Look at me, Ed. Do I look like a guy to you?”

Inwardly I prayed that he wouldn’t say something bad, but I wasn’t expecting what came out of his mouth.

“You look hot.” His face turned a deep shade of red. “I can’t believe I just said that.”

Instead of making a big deal of it, which would have embarrassed him further, I just beamed my brightest smile at him and nearly whispered, “Thank you.”

When I resumed my seat and crossed my legs again, my foot started bobbing just a little in pleased acceptance.

“So I guess that shaving thing for swimming was all bullshit?”

“Oh no, that’s true,” I said. “When I was in high school, I was on the swim team. We were encouraged to shave our bodies and even our heads for swim meets. That’s kind of how I got started with this. One thing led to another. By my junior year, I talked my mom into letting me get electrolysis… a few treatments anyway. I still have to shave every once in a while and it’s a little patchy. I’ve never lied about anything; I just haven’t told you the whole truth. Can you blame me?”

The whole conversation was winding up with Edward looking reluctantly accepting. It was like he understood everything I was saying, but there was society, lurking in the back of his head, telling him that what I was doing was perverted and wrong.

“Up until tonight, I’ve only dressed when you weren’t here. Obviously, I wasn’t expecting you tonight or I wouldn’t have… by the way, what are you doing here?”

He leaned back on his chair and looked disgusted. “Brooke and I had an argument.”

“Oh… I’m sorry. Is there anything I can do?”

Edward looked at me like he wanted to ask a question, but held himself back. So I encouraged him.

“I won’t make fun, I promise.”

He sighed and then fidgeted. “We’ve been talking about having a threesome.”

My eyebrows rose but I didn’t say anything.

“We were having a hard time finding another girl, so she suggested…” Edward blew out a frustrated noise. “Never mind.”

“No, it’s okay,” I said immediately. “Seeing as I’m kind of in the middle of the road here, I might be able to tell you what’s on her mind.”

He seemed to consider that, but he dropped his gaze to the desk. “She wants another guy to join us.”

My eyes widened. “Oh.”

“Yeah. So of course I tell her that’s gay.”

I cringed. “And she blew up.”

His eyes snapped to me. “Exactly. I mean what the hell?”

Taking the thought to its natural conclusion, I finished. “Because when it’s two girls together it’s hot, but when it’s two guys, it’s a sausage fest.”

“There, see! I’m not crazy and repressed like she says.”

Licking my lips I visibly winced for him. “Considering that you seemed to be accepting of me… or at least not murderous, I don’t think repressed is the proper word.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

I scooted my chair a little closer to him so I could keep my voice down. It was a delicate situation and I didn’t want to exacerbate the circumstances.

“Ed, threesomes are really tricky. Someone always winds up being gay even if they never touch one another. Brooke is pissed because she was willing to be that person for you, but you’re not willing to do the same for her.”

“But it’s not the same!”

Shaking my head I said. “Not to her. You have to take a look from her side as well. Has she ever done anything like this?”

Edward slumped in his chair. “No, neither of us has. That’s why we want to do it.”

Leaning forward, I patted his hand reassuringly. “You just need to find some middle ground, Ed. Tell her you’re willing but it has to be someone that you’re comfortable with, someone that won’t make you feel inferior.”

“Hey!”

I giggled. “That’s what it is, isn’t it. You don’t want to have to measure up.”

He shook his head. “It’s just… ugh! I just get creeped out at the thought of even looking at another guy’s… you know.”

“Please. You’ve seen plenty in gym class, I’m sure.”

“It’s not the same thing.”

“How about porn?”

Edward frowned.

“Same situation, Ed. A sexual situation, with the guy pounding into the girl. Heck, you don’t even have to be near each other. Each of you takes an end.” It was kind of crude of me, but I was trying to help my roommate out.

“I guess. But what if she wants us to…”

“Blow each other?” I offered.

“No, there’s no way I’d do that.” His face was a consistent red at this point. “One of the things I wanted to see her do was kiss a girl, I mean really kiss a girl, make out with them. I couldn’t do that.”

“I see.”

Edward grunted again and folded his arms on the desk to sulk properly. “You’re probably laughing your head off on the inside.”

“I’m not.” My voice was very sincere. “Can’t you just… I don’t know, close your eyes and imagine it’s a girl you’re…” I didn’t even get it all out before he glared at me.

“If it’s so easy, why don’t you do it Ash?”

“Well, I’m not in that situation, am I?”

“No. But you’re making sound a lot easier than it actually is.”

We sat for a few minutes, each of us pondering, searching for a solution. I had one, but there were a few difficulties in the application. However, for someone that would not treat me like dirt when he found out my secret, I’d do a lot for.

Pushing my chair back, I stood up and walked over to the door to lock it and to check the blinds to make sure they were closed.

“What are you doing?” Edward asked.

With a sigh, I stiffened my resolve. “Paying you back.”

“What?”

Digging in my box again, I took out some perfume and spritzed once, then turned to him. “Do you love Brooke?”

“That’s kind of a… yeah, whatever.”

I nodded once. “Good. If you could get over this… aversion then it would help you, right?”

“What’s your point?”

As he asked that, I closed in on him. “Kiss me.”

Edward’s eyes widened. I could see he was looking for a method of escape, but I was between him and the door.

“Ed, we’re both guys. We know that sometimes sex is just sex; it doesn’t mean anything, right?”

“Uh…”

“Of course I’m right. But for someone you love, you should be open to try anything they want at least once.”

“That doesn’t mean… I thought you weren’t gay!”

“I’m not. However, there aren’t a lot of guys that could forgive me dressing like this. For a friend, a good friend, I think I could put aside my aversion and help him out of a pinch.”

Playing with my hair, I tried to seem as feminine as possible, even raising my voice up in pitch. “You said it yourself, I look like a girl. So just imagine me as one. Deep down, you know it’s not true, but you can use that imagination.”

He swallowed, but stayed perfectly still.

“Close your eyes and smell my perfume.”

Edward’s jaw was clenched, but he followed my directions.

“I’m going to touch your wrist, don’t freak out.”

He remained frozen and I did just that, letting my nails run over the back of his hand. Then I picked it up and set his palm against the side of my thigh.

“Smooth, just like a girl’s, isn’t it.”

His hand was hot as I felt the tiniest bit of movement, his thumb lightly caressing my firm but soft thigh.

“Lean your head back a little.”

He didn’t, because he knew what was next.

“Touch my other thigh, Edward. Think of Brooke and touch me.”

“Ed…” he whispered.

I smiled and felt his other hand, this time on the back of my leg as I closed in. Reaching up, I cupped his face as I had seen Brooke do one time. I ran my thumb underneath his lip, lightly caressing it before closing my own eyes and imagining Edward Cullen from Twilight.

While I wasn’t gay, I was a girl at the moment, so I was quite heterosexual from my viewpoint.

Our lips touched and I brushed my nose along his, my stand-in vampire love. My Bella to his Edward. After an extended moment, Edward relaxed and opened his mouth to me. In a second, I felt tension in his hands and I was pulled in, deeper as he took what was his. I spread my legs wide and straddled his lap, sitting down on his thighs while his hands found their way to my butt and squeezed.

This was what it must be like to be taken, possessed, owned by your lover.

One hand stayed firmly on my butt while the other moved up over the rapidly heating skin of my back and under my baby tee, pressing my breasts against his chest. The kiss turned rough and his tongue probed my mouth, while mine battled with his, but it wasn’t a fight I wanted to win. I wanted him to come out victorious, biting my lip, abusing my mouth with his, making me groan with the way he made me feel.

My neck yearned for his lips, wanting to feel his teeth against my pulse point. Pulling back, I grabbed a handful of hair and directed to him what I needed and he didn’t disappoint. Edward’s tongue worked the area and then he bit down along with an intense sucking sensation. He was making me, and I was his.

In a second it was over and he attacked my mouth again. I’d long since forgotten where his hands were, but was pleasantly surprised when I felt myself lifted up and moved even closer, on top of something hard and thick underneath the confines of his jeans.

A moan escaped my lips and trapped by his. That’s when he froze. I pressed on, but Edward pulled back. My eyes fluttered open and I saw him watching me with a mix of fear, desire, and shock all in one.

I licked my lips and scooted back. I suppose the lesson was over.

My breath was uneven and heated. “I guess you… yeah.”

When I made it back far enough to stand, I almost fell over because my legs were so weak. Stumbling back, I tried to right myself, but Edward was there in a split second pulling me up. My breath caught short as I found myself squeezed against him, feeling the result of our impromptu make out session pressed up against my hip.

Looking up, through my lashes, I saw his lips again, slightly stained by my lipstick and swollen with the abuse we did ourselves. At that moment I wanted nothing more than to continue, but anything else we would do would wind up being regretted later. Edward was Brooke’s and what I did was to help them, not drive them further apart.

“Thanks.”

He cleared his throat and slowly released me then thumbed backward. “I need to… bathroom.”

I gave him a quick understanding nod. “No problem.”

~O~

Since my secret was out, and it was late, I turned off all the lights except for the bed then I changed into my only babydoll nightgown and a robe. Edward exited the bathroom ten minutes later and we brushed past one another without saying a word. I washed my makeup off and plucked a few eyebrow hairs. It was my intension to slowly groom them until they were a feminine shape so it wouldn’t be a big change all at once.

Once I was finished, I think I was back to normal, hormone-wise so I left the bathroom and hung my robe up. Edward was already in the top bunk with his head down and eyes closed. I frowned for a second and straightened my gown. I suppose he knew I was watching him, because his eyes opened and then widened a little.

I shrugged innocently. “Since you already know… do you mind?”

He shook his head and I smiled back. “Thanks.”

Climbing into bed, I reached out and turned off the light before settling in.

“Ash?”

“Yes?” Even though I couldn’t see anything, I still stared up, like I could see through the top bunk.

“When you’re dressed as a girl…”

“Yes?”

“Never mind.”

In the dark there was nobody that could make fun of you. “You can ask, Edward. I’ll answer.”

A few moments passed.

“You said you weren’t gay.”

“When I’m a guy, I’m not. I like girls. When I’m a girl, I’m not again. I like… guys.”

It felt like the air grew thick with tension before he simply said, “Okay.”

I sighed, feeling guilty for what I did. “If you want, I’ll stop dressing in front of you. I’ll just be a guy.”

He didn’t answer, and we both lay there in the uncomfortable silence before he broke it again.

“Have you ever… had sex that way?”

“Uh-huh. A few times.”

I heard a sharp exhale. “Didn’t it hurt?”

With a smile in the darkness, I remembered my first time. “At first, I guess like any girl. I had to get used to it, but later it was a lot better.”

I was so tempted to just crawl up that little ladder at the end of the bed and show him exactly how fun it could be, but I spanked my inner girl and showed her to the corner for a time out.

“This is so weird,” he said.

“What is? That you were turned on by making out with a girl?”

“But…”

I waited for the denial, but it never came.

Five minutes of silence turned into ten. I finally closed my eyes and tried to find a comfortable sleeping position.

“Ash?”

My eyes snapped back open. “Yeah?”

He cleared his throat. “If Brooke… if Brooke is interested, would you like to…?”

A smile rose to my face. “Yes.”

Would I share my Edward with his girlfriend? Sure, if it was the only way I could have him. Immortal love wasn’t supposed to be exactly like this, but at that point in our relationship I could deal.

~O~

The next few days were fairly average except when I got back to the dorm. While I didn’t have a large feminine wardrobe, I did have a few items that I could mix and match to make about five different outfits. There was nothing overly girly in my collection which I was correcting.

Edward made amends with Brooke. All of this was coming to me second hand but I could read between the lines. He’d explained his reluctance and how it was unfair to her, but he just had to be shown that it wasn’t as bad as he thought. After telling Brooke about me, she sounded interested and wanted to meet for dinner one night, then if she approved we’d make an official date of it.

That’s why I spent an inordinate amount of time looking for the perfect outfit for dinner. While I really didn’t care about her opinion, I needed a positive one if I was to show Edward how much being with a girl like me was a lot more fun than he originally thought. Then later in the year, when the two of them broke up, I would be there to make sure he was properly taken care of.

Don’t worry; I wouldn’t do anything to interfere with their relationship. It was obvious to me that they weren’t meant to be together or else they never would have gotten in a fight to begin with. People that are meant to be together talk things out and don’t let anger rule their lives. I would have never let Edward leave that night like she did. Just like when he discovered my other side, we talked it out, and being the understanding person he was, we came to an understanding.

Of course I wasn’t going to let their relationship get in the way of showing him my best side when I had the chance. Every afternoon, I was dressed as best as I could with the clothes that I had, my makeup was perfect, and my hair was properly styled.

I didn’t make any overt moves on him, I just showed how nice things could be around the room with a pretty girl to look at and take care of things. That Edward spent a lot more time in the bathroom than usual just made it all that much sweeter. It was obvious that he wanted me.

There was one thing I was very disappointed about; the passionate love bite he gave me was fading away. I could barely even tell it was there. Looking at it every morning let me replay the moment he gave it to me, the lust that he experienced which made him forget what turned him off.

Whenever we sat at our respective desks to study, occasionally I would feel Edward’s eyes on me. That’s when I’d turn a page and casually reach up to my neck, stroking it once or twice, reminding him that it was his lips and teeth that did it to me.

It was all a lot of work, being the perfect roommate, potential lover, future girlfriend, and seductress, but for my Edward, I would do almost anything.

~O~

Friday night finally arrived. Once he was out of the shower, I stepped in and worked my magic. A little over an hour later, I exited with all my parts attached, important places cleaned, and hair finished. A knowing smile sent Edward’s way, while I was dressed only in my robe was enough to start the evening’s activities off.

I had decided to keep things simple and purchased a little black dress. It had a lace overlay and full lace sleeves. Coming to mid-thigh, it showed off my calves and thighs which I was proud of, my knees not so much. They were a tad bit knobby.

“Uh, Ashley?”

“Uh-huh,” I said as I was putting the sealing gloss on my lips.

“You almost ready? We’re supposed to meet Brooke at seven.”

I smiled at my future lover’s impatience. It was nice to know that like a typical girl, I took too long to get ready, but not too long.

“Just finishing, Edward.”

Imagining his minor eye roll at my calling him by his full name, I blew a kiss to myself in the mirror. He was getting used to it, the name I mean. After the twentieth time he corrected me I suppose he just gave up. I let him call me Ash after all. That was a little too masculine for my tastes, but pet names are sometimes strange like that.

When I appeared around the corner, I posed for him and watched his eyes take in what his future held when everything worked out in the end. I had no doubt he would be mine. After all, I’m the lead character in the story of my life so that was the way it was supposed to be. The girl always gets the man she wants.

“Do I look okay?”

He nodded. “You look good.”

It was obvious he was underplaying how sexy I was so he wouldn’t look overly gay by admitting it.

“Thanks, you look very handsome. I like that shirt. Red always brings out the color of your eyes.”

He fidgeted for a moment. “My eyes are brown.”

With a grin, I closed in on him and brushed an imaginary piece of lint off his shoulder. “When you wear red, they’re more a caramel color, almost like topaz.”

He’d never read Twilight, or even seen the movie. There was too much romance involved for most boys to appreciate the nuance. All the Cullen vampires had topaz colored eyes. It wasn’t that big of a leap to switch from naming caramel topaz.

“I’ll take your word for it. Are you ready?”

Grabbing my purse from the desk, I hung the dainty strap on my shoulder and nodded before taking hold of his upper arm. Edward halted all movement and looked down, so I had to make an excuse that I hoped he believe.

“I’m still not used to my four inch heels, Edward. I’ll need some assistance. Don’t be nervous. I won’t bite… yet.”

“Oh… right.”

In truth, I could maneuver around in six inch heels quite well, if need be. I’d been practicing for years after all.

Edward opened the door and checked the hall, probably to make sure I wouldn’t get run over by some drunken student then we left and oddly enough encountered nobody until we exited the building. By that time, I doubted if anyone would recognize me. Even if they did, at that point, I didn’t care. I looked good, fabulous even. When we reached his Mustang, I tugged him over to make sure he opened my door.

“If you want girls to think you appreciate them, Edward, you have to open doors for them and treat them like ladies on a date.”

“Uh… this isn’t… never mind, you’re right.”

He seemed especially nervous on the ride to the restaurant, so I reached over and patted his thigh.

“You’ve already told her about me, right?”

He nodded.

“Well then, relax. If you look like you don’t want to be with me then she’s going to think you’re just doing this to get it done and out of the way. Brooke will get angry and we’re all back at square one.”

I watched his face as he worked thought my logic. “I’m just nervous in general, over the whole situation.”

Pulling my hand back, I sighed. “We should have had sex this week. You would have been a lot more relaxed.”

The car swerved slightly, as he took his eyes off the road and looked at me. “What?”

“Me and you,” I said as a matter of fact. “You would have realized that it’s just two people sharing themselves and nothing to worry about in the greater scheme of things.”

I started looking around. “Tell you what… pull onto that road over there. I know a fairly private place where I can give you a blow job. You’ll be a lot more relaxed for dinner.”

Edward totally blew past the street ignoring everything I’d said. “I’ll get over it. Besides we’re already late.”

~O~

When we got there, I sat patiently while he worked his way around to open my door to help me out. I made sure to expose a long line of leg and took his arm when he turned back around.

Brooke was sitting in one of the back corners, at a secluded table. We’d met a number of times before, but I could see she was still shocked at my transition and even more so when I made Edward pull my chair out for me.

“Brooke, you look… good tonight,” I said as I eyed her jeans and tee shirt.

I don’t think she caught the cattiness in my voice. “Wow, Ed told me that you could pull it off, but I still didn’t think you’d look so convincing.”

With a smile, I crossed my legs while Edward made himself comfortable.

“I’ve been dressing for years. This wasn’t that difficult.”

The waiter showed up and took our orders before heading away. We all made polite small talk until our drinks arrived and we were left to our private conversation. Brooke obviously thought that she was in charge. I’d let her continue thinking that for the moment.

“I thought we’d go over everything first, so there’s no surprises and everyone’s comfortable with what we’ll be doing,” she said.

“That’s a great idea, isn’t it Edward?”

Brooke’s eyebrows rose when she heard me call my soon to be lover by his full name, but she let it go. Edward just nodded and his cheeks pinked a little. Reaching out, I set my hand on Brooke’s, with a girlfriend gesture.

“Isn’t he cute when he blushes?”

Brooke looked back and forth between the two of us as I sipped at my iced tea. “Are you two already…?”

Edward looked immediately nervous. “No! Nothing!”

I sighed. “Brooke, honey. That’s not exactly true.”

Her eyes narrowed when she looked at me and my love nearly panicked.

“In order to show Edward that it wasn’t that big of a deal to make love to a male or a female, I made a practical example and physically showed him.” It was all very casual and calm, but I could tell Brooke was jealous already. “It was just a kiss. I didn’t take him to my bed or anything sordid. Frankly, you should be grateful that I opened his eyes.”

She frowned for a moment and then looked down at the table. “I guess you’re right. Sorry, I thought this would be easier than it is.”

Brooke sipped at her drink and then sat it down. “You see it in the movies,” she said. “But it’s different when I see another girl… or um, whatever is attracted to him as well.”

I nodded with understanding. “I get that. However, you both need to know that we’ll be doing a lot more than just talking about it soon enough. We all need to be comfortable doing anything we want to each other, Brooke with me, me with Edward, and the three of us together.

That brought a smile to her face and more of a blush to Edward’s. I’d figured out at that moment that Brooke was looking forward to seeing her guy with another guy in a sexual fashion and nothing else. It was too bad that there was already a strong emotional attachment between Edward and me.

We made it a point to touch each other as much as possible over dinner, in order to become familiar. Brooke’s hand very rarely left my bare leg, stroking it occasionally. I couldn’t touch Edward since he was on the other side, of his girlfriend, but I could reach his leg with the toe of my shoe.

Once dessert came around, I excused myself to go to the girl’s room as I knew they wanted to speak privately. As I got up and grabbed my purse, I noticed a woman by herself at a booth, watching me. Perhaps she was simply distracted by movement in the line of her sight, but something told me that wasn’t it.

At one point as I made my way past her to the restroom, I thought I saw her corneas and pupils change to silver disks, but they reverted back almost as quick. I dismissed it as a glare from the lights and perhaps she was wearing contacts that reflected it oddly. I did note that she was beautiful in a femme fatal way, smoky eyes, luscious full lips, and dark red hair that fell down her back. She watched me with intent as I passed. Heat rushed through me, the kind of which I normally only felt for my Edward.

With a sigh, I wished it was her that we shared instead of Brooke. That would be an experience to remember.

Trying to rid myself of the thought, I opened the door, entered, and completed my business before moving to the sink to wash my hands and check my makeup.

When I exited the stall, she was standing there, the woman from the booth. She was leaning ever so slightly forward toward the mirror and I watched as her reflective gaze settled on me.

“You pass quite well, you know.”

I blinked and nearly had to hold onto the stall door to keep my feet. She had an accent and it was hard to place. It was almost like a handful of them all at once, but at the base I felt it was French.

“Don’t worry,” she said as a seductive smile settled on her face. “Your secret is safe with me.”

Gathering my courage, I gave her a return smile and stepped to the sink. “Thank you.”

“Think nothing of it.”

Checking my lipstick, I decided that I liked the long lasting type and added another layer of gloss sealant, just in case. All the while, the woman just looked at me through the reflection. I wanted to say something else, but at the moment I just felt small, like a pre-teen pretending to be a girl.

When I dropped the gloss back in and snapped my purse closed, she was right there next to me. I blinked at not having seen her move. One second she was three sinks down, and the next, her hand was cupping my cheek.

“Very good. You must have been doing this for years.”

“Uh-huh,” I said as I nearly vibrated at her touch and her intense green eyes bored into mine.

“Tell me, Ashley,” she said. Her free hand pressed between my breasts, over my heart which was pounding off the inside of my chest. “Are you a girl in here?”

I couldn’t close my eyes, couldn’t breathe, couldn’t move. The only thing I wanted to do more than anything else in my life was to tell her my darkest secrets.

“I’m Bella inside,” I whispered.

Her eyes narrowed and I thought I saw a moment of disgust on her face. My heart pounded faster as the thought of making her angry made me shrink even further in myself.

“I suppose the young man at your table is Edward, but who is the woman that has been enjoying the feel of your inner thigh most of the night?”

“Brooke,” I answered without thought. “She’s nobody. I’m using her to make Edward mine.”

The woman looked bored as her eyes rolled. “Children and the games they play. I had hopes for you, little Ashley, but I see you are just as petty and deluded as most children of this day. Still,” she paused and looked at my neck. “I am a bit peckish.”

When her eyes turned back to mine the silver discs were back and I couldn’t look away. Her mouth opened and there was something about her teeth that I never dreamed I’d see before. Her canines were very long and quite pointed; they were also descending on my neck.

~O~

I blinked and looked at the mirror, feeling a little lightheaded as I studied my lip gloss. It was perfectly fine, like I’d just added a fresh layer. My face seemed a little paler than normal. That was fine. I liked being pale.

“Are you feeling okay?” Edward asked as I took my seat.

I nodded. “Don’t I look okay?”

Brooke’s hand settled on my leg again. “You look fine, Ashley. You were just in there for a long time.”

I’m sure the confused look on my face was telling. “Really? I didn’t think it was any longer than normal.”

She waved it off. “It doesn’t matter.”

Before I knew it, her hand slid higher up, dipping under the front of my dress. “Ed and I have both decided that we want you in our bed next weekend. How do you feel about that?”

Truthfully, I was kind of shocked. I thought it was going to take more of an effort, but obviously Brooke was a slut and not worthy of my Edward.

“I’d like that.”

She smiled fairly sexy-like. “Great. Ed, you’ll drive to my place. I want a chance to have a little girl talk with Ashley first. I’ll drop her off at the dorm.”

He looked back and forth between us, almost frightened at what we’d say behind his back. It was a legitimate concern for most guys, but I’d never embarrass him knowingly, so I gave him a reassuring smile.

Edward grabbed the check and pecked his girlfriend on the lips before standing. I blinked at him expectantly and barely pursed my lips. Brooke saw it and grinned back at him with a raised eyebrow. He swallowed and leaned over the table. When I helped out by leaning forward, Edward moved to the side and kissed my cheek instead. That brought a minor frown to my face.

Why couldn’t he kiss me properly? Pondering it for a half a second, I came to the conclusion that he respected me too much. Public displays of affection were gouache. He probably just wanted to treat me like a lady and since Brooke was already a slut he could treat her like one as well.

We both watched his retreat to the front until Edward was out of sight and it was just us girls left behind.

“You really want him bad, don’t you?” she said.

I took a bite of my chocolate cheesecake and let it melt on my tongue.

“Fine,” she said with disappointment at my non-answer. “Since we won’t see each other until next weekend I wanted to set some ground rules.”

“Shouldn’t Edward be here for this?”

“Not really, no. This is my fantasy and when it’s his turn he can make the rules.”

I didn’t exactly know how I felt about that. It was my opinion that everyone involved should know where they stand and agree with what was being done. However, I kept that opinion to myself.

“I want to start off by him kissing you and then you pushing him down to give you head. Make sure to make him swallow, and then…”

Disgust must have shown on my face, because she stopped and looked at me. “What?”

“Brooke, when I dress this way, I’m a girl. That means he takes the lead, I don’t force and humiliate him into doing something I know he’s not interested in doing.”

She looked at me oddly. “Where’s the fun in that?”

It was obvious that she was clueless. “How about I’ll tell you what I’m willing to do and you pick what you want?”

Brooke’s lips pursed then she sighed with resignation. “Okay, what will you do?”

“For Edward? Anything that makes him happy. For you?” I was about to tell her I’d do the same as long as Edward wanted me to, but that probably won’t go over very well. “Kissing, petting, oral, and vaginal.”

“That’s it?”

Taking another bite of cheesecake, I let it melt on my tongue. It really is the only way to eat it correctly. That way you can savor the taste properly since the piece they serve is always too small.

“What about other stuff, like role playing, some light bondage, something fun?”

Role playing had its merits if I could convince him to be Edward Cullen to my Bella Swan, but there really wasn’t room for a third in that game.

“It’s our first time. I think Edward will be nervous enough.”

Brooke obviously wasn’t pleased with that answer. She pouted which had absolutely no effect on me whatsoever.

“I need to talk to him about this. I have certain expectations.”

With a nod, I agreed. “Wasn’t that the whole point of us meeting here?”

“For someone that dresses like a girl, you’re being awful picky about your partners.”

Leaning back, I picked up my purse and gave her an irritated look. “I’m not desperate, if that’s what you’re implying. Can you take me to the dorm now?”

Brooke smirked like she’d won. She hadn’t won anything, except for the loss of my civility. If the slut wanted to toss insults at someone that was doing her a favor then frankly, I couldn’t be bothered to play nice anymore.

~O~

The next day, Edward was even more distant and there was nothing I could do to bring his attention back to me. Even wearing my babydoll around the dorm room didn’t spark any interest from him. The only thing I could figure was that Brooke probably boned the energy out of poor boy the previous night.

That got me plotting.

I spotted a few fliers on the desk from the various Halloween parties that either he or I had been invited to. Picking through them I found one that had the criteria I was looking for. It was for Friday night at one of the social fraternities one of his friends was in. I had a costume since I wanted to go to one anyway, it might as well be used for a good cause.

“Hey, Edward,” I said in my sweetest voice.

“Hmm?” He looked up from his books.

“I know you weren’t going to the Psi Mu Halloween party, but I heard Black Heart is playing live.”

He nodded. “Yeah.”

The look on his face was vaguely regretful, but he brushed it off right after.

“Since, I’m doing this thing with you and Brooke on Saturday night, do you think you can do me a favor and take me to the party?”

Edward’s lips parted and I almost frowned at a look that told me he was quickly trying to think of a way to say no. What had happened in only one night to turn him against me? It couldn’t have been the slut. I know she still had more plotting up her ratty tee shirt sleeve to humiliate my beloved Edward for some unknown reason.

“I don’t know if that’s such a good idea, Ash.”

With a seriously nice pout running, I pleaded my case. “I just want to see Black Heart play, but I don’t know anyone well enough to get in. I won’t embarrass you, I promise. We’d just go, see them for a couple of sets, maybe I could dance a couple of songs and we can leave, honest.”

He sighed. “I really have to study for my Chem test on Monday, and we’ll be busy for the rest of the weekend.”

“I’ll help, I can help! I can make flash cards for you and run to Channello’s for pizza so you don’t have to leave… please?

I tried my best to squeeze out a tear or two, but they wouldn’t come.

His face started going pink. “Ash, I don’t even have a costume.”

I bounced up with a huge grin. “No problem. I know you have that black suit that looks so good on you. You just need a different tie, and I can go get that.”

“A suit?”

“Uh-huh. You don’t even have to go costume hunting. How cool is that?”

His eyes narrowed at me. “What are you going as?”

With a grin, I clapped my hands happily and looked innocent. “That’s a secret, but you’ll like it.”

~O~

Two days later everything was going according to plan. I bought Edward’s tie and he still didn’t have a clue as to who he was going to be. I suppose he should have watched the movie like a good portion of the planet did. For me, I had to change things around a little. For myself, I chose the layered blue halter dress Bella wore to the Prom. I even purchased a wig in her hair color. There was one thing I wasn’t going to skimp on; I had to have four inch heels, so I would need Edward’s assistance once more.

In order to keep the secret safe with me, I had to lock myself up in the bathroom until I was completely ready.

My makeup was a little understated to match who I was portraying, but I still looked very pretty if I do say so myself, but everything else was perfect. I could almost feel my dream coming alive.

Trying to mute my wide smile, I bit my lip a few times for practice and then unlocked the door. When I stepped out, Edward was sitting at his desk, dressed in everything but his coat jacket. He looked up at me with a furrowed brow, still trying to figure it out.

“I don’t get it.”

I stepped toward my desk and opened the upper most drawer on the right to retrieve the last portion of his costume.

“Here, this might enlighten you.”

He took one look at the fairly realistic looking vampire teeth and finally got it.

“You’re kidding me.”

When Edward looked back up at me, I had the most pitiful look on my face. “Please, Edward. You know how much this would mean to me. Just for a couple of hours, then you can burn everything.”

He frowned. “There’s not going to be any glitter involved is there?”

I shook my head. Even I didn’t like the whole sparkly vampire plot detail of Twilight. That was the butt of so many jokes and a large contributor to such disrespect of my most favorite story in the world.

When he took them out of the package, a little tube fell to the desk.

“Would you like me to put them in for you so they won’t be crooked?”

He picked one up. “They’re two teeth.”

“That’s what the adhesive is for, so you don’t have to worry about them falling out. Don’t worry, you just swish some Listerine around them and they come right off.”

With a sigh he handed them to me and I nearly squeaked. In fact, I think I did.

“Thank you. You are the best, Edward.”

After a few moments I had them secure and he tested the road with his tongue.

“Thith feelth weird.”

I tried my best not to snort at his pronounced lisp. “Ready to go?”

Again, Edward checked the hall, back and forth a couple of times, to make sure nobody was around to run me over, I’m sure. He held up a finger for almost a full minute and then waved me on.

“It’s clear.”

Isn’t he the sweetest guy sometimes?

Down the stairs we went, and only had to pause to let a couple of guys past, who eyed me suggestively before running to the next level. I could have sworn I heard laughing once the door had closed behind them, but that could have been about anything. I wondered why Edward was nearly beet red by the time we made it to his car. He didn’t have to worry about wearing really tall heels and walking on a gravel parking lot. Talk about your heavy amounts of concentration needed. With my vast amount of experience though, I didn’t even take a single misstep. I’m sure my date was impressed.

Once we made it to the Psi Mu house and found a parking space Edward still looked stressed for some reason.

“Are you okay?”

He looked at the house and then back to me. “I don’t know if thith ith thuch a good idea, Athhley.”

Setting my hand on his leg, I tried to look as concerned as I could for him. “Is there anything I can do to help you relax, Edward? Anything?”

I don’t think he got what I meant because instead of looking excited at my offer, he looked kind of sick and shook his head.

“I wasn’t kidding about the blow job I offered yesterday. If you think it’ll help you…”

“That’th okay, Thankth.”

“I’m pretty good at it. I’ve never gotten any complaints.”

Instead of taking me up on the idea, he jumped out of the car and stood by the hood. I frowned and opened my own door. My guess was that he wanted to make my first time with him extra special, which is sweet and all, but it was making him so nervous with anticipation that he was forgetting his manners.

Men, what can you do?

The line was short to get in. Edward passed off the flier and mumbled something to the guy at the door which resulted in a nod and then we were inside.

The band was already playing and it felt like the walls were vibrating at the sound of the bass reverberating through the rooms.

I squeezed Edward’s arm and grinned up at him. “This is great!”

Holding his hand to his ear, I saw him mouth, “What?”

I leaned in. “Do you want to dance?”

It was a sure way to show him how sexy I could be on the floor, but he shook his head again, and then pointed at his throat and miming something to drink. I nodded and was about to follow him, but he held his hands up for me to stay.

An unsure feeling at being alone welled up, but I nodded and turned to the band, for a distraction, confident that he’d be back very soon. I looked back for him after a few seconds, but he’d already disappeared into the crowd of people.

After a second song had played and ended, I tried to find some high ground, but was out of luck. That was when someone grabbed my hand, a werewolf wearing a tee shirt with Team Jacob on the front. I gave him the once over and had to say I was pretty impressed with the overall packaging even though I couldn’t see his face through the mask.

If there was a sure way to get Edward back from wherever he got lost to, it was flirting with his arch nemesis, the American Indian werewolf rival of the Cullen Vampires!

I let him tug me to the dance floor where I lost all track of time.

~O~

Eleven-thirty p.m. and I hadn’t seen Edward since we arrived. The Team Jacob guy, who turned out to really be named Patrick, had been flirting with me non-stop the entire time. It turned out that he was almost as big of a fan of Twilight as I was. In his opinion, Jacob got the shaft since all he was able to get was a couple of kisses from Bella after all of her flirting.

I kind of agreed. He really should have gotten a little something for all the effort he put in courting Bella. Of course I was really drunk by then and pissed at being abandoned. That was the only reason Jacob got lucky, in the back yard, behind one of the big pine trees. I had to make sure Edward was punished… plus Jacob… Patrick, whatever his name was, was pretty hot. He was definitely a mouthful and then some.

He wound up driving me back to the dorm. I contemplated inviting him upstairs, but my goal was to make Edward jealous, not murderous.

After a long make out session and another happy time for my stand in date, I dragged myself out of the car with a promise to call him so we could set something else up.

I was tired from dancing so much, my feet hurt for doing it all in high heels, my jaw ached from giving two blowjobs in less than an hour, and I was sure my makeup was ruined. To say I was angry at Edward might have been an understatement.

He was in the upper bunk; sound asleep, when I closed the door. I slipped off my heels and nearly had a spontaneous orgasm from the relief. However that didn’t make up for what my date did to me.

Instead of grabbing the closest sharp object and stabbing him with it, I flipped on the overhead light.

A loud groan sounded from atop the bunk. “What the hell? Ash, turn the light off!”

I tossed my heels into the box and started unzipping my dress. “You owe me thirty-five dollars for the tie and another twenty for the teeth, a hundred and twenty-five for the dress and heels I bought for the party and I think five hundred dollars will be enough for the blow jobs I had to give some random guy in order to get a ride back to the dorm. I’ll take cash.”

“Huh?” Edward was halfway covering his eyes and squinting at me. “What are you talking about?”

“Six hundred and eighty dollars, Edward. You said you’d go on the date with me and that’s how much it cost in materials and services rendered to be abandoned less than thirty seconds later. Screw it; let’s call it an even seven hundred for me having to explain it all to you.”

He sat up, still wincing from the glare of the light less than three feet from his face.

“I said I’d take you to the party, not that I’d stick around.”

I threw a scowl at him. “Then you can forget about tomorrow night. We’ll see how Brooke likes it when you try to explain that one.”

Edward dropped back down on his pillow. “I won’t have to. She broke up with me tonight.”

“Really?” My anger was gone and hope was rekindled in my previously empty heart.

“Oh, Edward!” I said as I rushed over to the bed and scrambled up the stairs in nothing but my bra and panties. “This is great news. Now nothing can stand in the way of our immortal love.”

He jerked and kicked at me. “Get away from me, you faggot! I’m not fucking gay! How many times do I have to say it?”

I narrowly missed getting kicked in the face, but lost my balance anyway and hit the floor on my hip. A sharp pain jolted through my body.

“OWW!”

Grabbing at my side, I whimpered, feeling tears spring to my eyes at the results of the night.

Edward glared at me from his bed. “Now get up and turn off the damn light, before I come down there and kick your fucking ass.”

He punched his pillow and turned away from me before lying back down. Using my bed, I pulled myself up and wiped at my face, wincing at the throbbing of my hip. Shuffling over to the door, I hit the switch and he called out some more abuse to me.

“And no more faggotty clothes. If you want to dress like a fucking girl, take it somewhere else.”

The rest was mumbling.

I was hurt, depressed, embarrassed, humiliated, stood up, abandoned, and used all in the span of a handful of hours. It was more than I could take. Bella wouldn’t go through all of this. She’d find a hole to crawl into and hide for the next decade.

Standing there, I looked at the blinds and the soft moonlight sifting through the minute openings. I used to like the night. Everything was hidden a lot better during that time. The world wasn’t as bright or as harsh. I could be who I wanted because it was easier to hide the outer shell and bring forth another part of me, one that I used to like.

I used to dream of becoming a creature of the night. The angst, the romance, the danger, and the power were a part of me. Hundreds of books I’ve read already in my lifetime. Each of them filled a hole in my heart at never really being accepted for who I was, a person that skirted both sides of the gender divide. Instead of lashing out at the world, I’d sunk deeper and deeper into a fantasy world where I wasn’t the strangest creature out there.

Sniffing, I wiped at my face again and limped to my desk. Quietly, I opened the drawer and took out a pair of scissors. Taking the pins out of the wig and releasing its hold on my scalp, I shook out my hair and thought about just cutting it all off. If I couldn’t let the other side of me out from time to time I’d probably go insane.

The little light that was making it through the blinds glinted off the stainless steel and the sharp edges of the tool.

“What would Bella do?” I asked myself in a whisper.

“SHH!”

Gritting my teeth, I glanced up, through the darkness and scowled at Edward.

Fuck Bella.

Like I said before, I’ve read a lot of books. There are a number of series out there and it was time to get in touch with some of the more aggressive female leads. There’s this series by Kim Harrison, called the Hallows. It’s your typical urban fantasy fare, lots of different creatures running around. However, nobody was as badass as Ivy Tamwood, a six foot tall, Asian, bisexual, living vampire. Nobody messed with Ivy or her friends and lived to tell about it. She knew about unrequited love and she knew about loss. Ivy was who I needed to be.

Nobody fucked with Ivy.

Reversing the scissors in my grip, I took a step and realized my hip was worse than I thought. It felt like something was grinding when I tried to move my leg, and with each movement the throbbing increased. Edward needed to pay for that. Nobody would blame me, after all, I was hurt and just tried to defend myself. Who would believe that a little slip of a girl could hurt someone twice her size anyway?

Closing my eyes, I imagined what I needed to do. Just three steps to the bunk. I’d put my right foot up and use it to lift me higher, bracing myself against the bed, right before I jammed the scissors into his back, or maybe his neck. There would be less of a chance in hitting bone that could deflect the scissors. If I had the chance, I’d stab him again, just to make sure.

Nobody fucked with Ivy.

“Ashley.”

Blinking my eyes open, I looked around. I could have sworn that I heard a voice call my name, a female voice.

“Open the door, Ashley.”

Pressing my lips together I squeezed my eyes shut again. There was nobody there. It was just my imagination thinking someone was inside my head. I had to get this done. Edward had to pay for hurting me over and over again.

“Now, Ashley; there isn’t much time. Open the door.”

My hip sent agonizing pain through my body as I moved, but it wasn’t toward the bunk beds, instead, it was to the door to rid myself of the compelling sultry voice in my head. Once I had that done, I could finish what I’d started.

I opened the door. In my haze of pain it took me a moment to make out the woman that stood in the doorway. Her hip was cocked to the side displaying a long line of luscious leg dipping out from her red silk gown. Even though I was still dressed in my panties and bra, thus a girl, I was irresistibly attracted to her.

Following that sight up her body I stopped at her eyes, half-closed, taking me in. It was a sorry sight I made. My hair was a mess from being under the wig for so long and I’m sure my makeup was trashed from my tears and what I did earlier with Patrick. I didn’t even think of him as Jacob anymore.

“Invite us in, child.”

I didn’t even think about refusing her. “Please come in.”

Stepping backward to make room for the woman I spotted another girl in a dark robe with the hood pulled up then my leg gave out. A yelp escaped my lips, but I didn’t drop more than an inch before the woman had a hold of me.

“Ashley, what the fuck?” There was a thump behind me. “What’d I say? Now I’m gonna kick your… uh…”

The woman looked down at me with such intensity that I felt like cringing away. “Did he do this to you, Ashley?”

Her voice was harsh, heated, and angry in such a way that I almost peed myself. I couldn’t say anything; I could only nod as quickly as possible.

“Hey, I didn’t do anything. She fell on her… his own. That’s a guy by the way,” Edward spat in his defense.

The woman’s eyes never left mine. “Josephine, silence him.”

In less than a second, I heard a loud thump and then what sounded like a body hitting the floor.

“Would you like the abuser dead, Mistress?”

The woman didn’t reply, instead I felt myself lifted off my feet and heard the door close behind me then everything else faded away, but her eyes. They told me so much about her and absolutely nothing at the same time.

They were old, but young, incredibly strong and yet capable of such compassion that I wanted to cry, infinite patience was hers to wield but once angered nothing could stand in her way. So full of contradictions those beautiful eyes were that I didn’t notice when she laid me down on my bed. My hip sent a hot fire through me and I gasped.

“Ashley,” she said. “Focus on me. You have a choice here tonight, but it must be made within the next few moments. Do you understand?”

I nodded as I tried to concentrate through my blurry tear filled eyes.

“I know your secrets, child, and I can fulfill them, but in order for this to occur you must swear your loyalty to me. Do you understand?”

With a blink I nodded and then shook my head. I was confused.

Her half-lidded eyes opened wider and I gasped, not because of any oddity, but because I didn’t think she could be any more beautiful.

“Your life will be mine for as long as you live. Your body will be whole and female and it will never age. You will possess what you have always longed for, and you will have a vast amount of freedom to do as you will, but ultimately you are mine to command for quite some time. Do you accept?”

Another tear dropped down the side of my face as I’d finally figured out what was happening.

“Yes,” I whispered so low that even I couldn’t hear it over the rapid pounding of my heart.

“Josephine,” she snapped. “The goblet.”

My head was lifted and something was brought to my lips.

“Drink, child.”

The mixture was tasteless and mildly gritty, but drink I did, as I continued to stare at the woman with the green eyes.

“Good.”

Finally a small smile raised the corners of her lips. “Now trust in me. This will hurt for but a moment.”

Her fingers threaded through my hair and effortlessly pulled my head back, exposing my neck. Hundreds of times, thousands possibly, I’d read about this, but I’d never thought it was real except in my most profound dreams. The woman’s mouth opened and I saw sharp fangs where her canine teeth should be before her head dropped to my neck.

I wasn’t afraid. I wasn’t afraid. I wasn’t afraid.

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